Pte James Clarke (Mt Dandenong), 38th Battalion, Ptes Archibald Conner (Lilydale), 39th Battalion & George Conner (Lilydale), 39th Battalionas well as Pte Thomas McGuire (Mt Evelyn), 39th Battalion: Are on the HMAT Ballarat and approaching the English Channel when a German submarine torpedoed the ship. Efforts are made to tow the ship to shallow water but this fails and she soon sinks. All the troops on board were safely evacuated and there was no loss of life.
Pte Duncan St Leger (Coldstream), 14th Australian General Hospital: Arrives in Australia from the Middle East on the SS Willochra to be discharged as medically unfit as a result of contracting pleurisy.
Pte Harry Duck (Seville): Hospitalised with gastritis at the Military Rest Home, Macleod, Vic, since December 29th, 1916, his condition hasn’t improved and as a result the military authorities discharge him as being medically unfit. Writing to the authorities from his hospital bed he states: ‘I have been in the AIF for twenty-six weeks and have had three weeks with influenza, three weeks with measles and fifteen weeks in Mont Park rest camp without any improvement to my health. I can honestly say that I am not likely to get fit to do my bit at the front as I felt it my duty to try for’.
William King (Lilydale): Leaves his job as a miner and enlists in the AIF, he is 40 years old.